Google Sites vs Duda: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict


Google Sites vs Duda offers a clear distinction in terms of functionality and target audience.


  • Google Sites (Overall Grade: 5.6/10)

    is ideal for users seeking simplicity and seamless integration with Google Workspace tools. It excels in collaborative features, making it a popular choice for team projects, personal portfolios, and small business websites. However, it lacks advanced ecommerce capabilities and extensive customization options, which may limit its appeal for more complex website needs.

  • Duda (Overall Grade: 7.8/10)

    stands out with its professional and responsive website building capabilities. It offers a wide range of customizable templates, advanced ecommerce features, and robust hosting solutions. Duda is particularly well-suited for agencies, designers, and businesses looking for a comprehensive and flexible platform to create and manage multiple client websites.

Best for ecommerce

1.8
7.4


Verdict

: Google Sites is not designed for ecommerce, while Duda offers a comprehensive suite of ecommerce tools, making it the better choice for online stores.


  • Google Sites

    : Google Sites is primarily a tool for creating simple websites and lacks built-in ecommerce features. Users must rely on third-party tools or widgets to add ecommerce functionalities, which can be cumbersome and limited. When comparing Google Sites vs Duda, Google Sites falls short in supporting robust ecommerce operations.

  • Duda

    : Duda excels in ecommerce with features like product and inventory management, payment processing, and advanced SEO and marketing tools. It provides a range of customizable templates and supports various payment gateways, making it a strong contender for businesses looking to establish a professional online store.

Best for informational & business websites

7.2
8.4


Verdict

: When it comes to creating informational and business websites, Duda takes the lead with its extensive customization options, professional templates, and robust hosting capabilities. Google Sites, while user-friendly and well-integrated with Google Workspace, falls short in comparison to Duda’s comprehensive feature set.


  • Google Sites

    : Google Sites is a straightforward, no-code website builder that integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace tools. It is ideal for users who need a simple, collaborative platform for creating team projects, personal portfolios, or small business websites. However, its limited template variety and basic design functionalities make it less suitable for more complex business needs. Google Sites scores 7.2 in this category.

  • Duda

    : Duda excels with its professional and responsive website templates, extensive customization options, and powerful hosting on AWS. It is particularly well-suited for agencies, designers, and businesses that require a more sophisticated online presence. Duda’s platform offers a range of features, including ecommerce capabilities and SEO tools, making it a versatile choice for various business needs. Duda scores 8.4 in this category.

Detailed comparison

Design functionalities & templates

Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:

  • Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
  • Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
  • User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
  • Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
  • Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
4.9
8.3

🏆

Winner: Duda.

Duda offers more variety in templates and design, more customization flexibility, better mobile responsive design, more creative design possibilities, and more free and premium templates and designs than Google Sites.

Google Sites offers a limited number of templates suitable for various purposes, from personal blogs to business websites. These templates are designed for user engagement, simplicity, and functionality, allowing for customization to meet specific needs.


Google Sites Themes

Google Sites templates
Google Sites template example

On the other hand, Duda offers a wide variety of templates and designs for its website builder. With over 180 templates to choose from, users have the flexibility to create a website that suits their unique needs and style. The templates are professionally designed and cover various industries, ensuring that businesses of all types can find a suitable option.


Duda Themes

Duda templates
Duda template example

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Ease of use

Ease of useReflects the platform’s overall user-friendliness.Score
Components:

  • Learning curve (40%): Quickness and ease of getting started.
  • Interface design (30%): Simplicity and intuitiveness of layout.
  • User guidance (20%): Quality of tutorials and support.
  • Flexibility (10%): Adaptability to various user skills.
8.3
8.4


🏆 Winner: Duda

. With a score of 8.4, Duda slightly edges out Google Sites, which scored 8.3. Duda is praised for its intuitive user interface, extensive customizable templates, and collaboration tools, making it a great choice for agencies, teams, and professionals who need efficient design tools. Google Sites, on the other hand, is ideal for users seeking simplicity and integration with Google Workspace tools.


Learning Resources

Both Google Sites and Duda offer extensive learning resources. Google Sites provides practical guides and comprehensive digital skill development programs, while Duda offers a wide range of documentation, video tutorials, and an active community forum.

For ecommerce

EcommerceMeasures the platform’s effectiveness in supporting online business activities.Score Components:

  • Ecommerce themes and templates (20%): Variety and design of templates.
  • Product management (25%): Ease of managing and organizing products.
  • Payment options (25%): Variety and convenience of payment methods.
  • Ecommerce features (20%): Features for managing an ecommerce store.
  • Integration (10%): Compatibility with external e-commerce tools and services.
1.8
7.4

When it comes to ecommerce, Duda clearly outperforms Google Sites. Google Sites does not have built-in ecommerce features and relies on third-party tools or widgets for ecommerce functionalities. In contrast, Duda offers a comprehensive set of ecommerce features, including product and inventory management, payment processing, shopping and tax settings, coupons and discounts, SEO and marketing tools, and analytics and reporting.

Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

Ecommerce themes and templates

0.0

6.5

Product page customization

0.0

7.5

Payment processing and commissions

1.0

7.0

POS capabilities

0.0

5.5

Payment gateways

2.0

7.5

Product numbers

0.0

7.0

Additional ecommerce features

0.5

7.0

Google Sites ecommerce features:

Google Sites itself does not have built-in eCommerce features. However, you can integrate eCommerce functionalities into a Google Sites website by embedding third-party tools or widgets, linking to an external eCommerce platform, or using buttons that link to payment processors.

Duda ecommerce features:

  • Product and Inventory management
  • Payment processing
  • Shopping and Tax settings
  • Coupons and discounts
  • SEO and Marketing tools
  • Analytics and reporting

Duda add a product

Ecommerce themes & templates

Google Sites does not offer any ecommerce templates. On the other hand, Duda provides a variety of ecommerce templates designed to help businesses create professional, responsive online stores. These templates are specifically tailored to support a wide range of ecommerce functionalities such as product catalogs, shopping carts, checkout processes, and payment gateways integration.

Product page customization

Google Sites lacks any product page customization features, as the products can be listed with embedding third-party platforms, all the customization can be done within the mentioned platforms. In contrast, Duda allows for easy addition of variations such as size and color directly from the product management section. It also offers bulk import/export functionality through CSV files, streamlining the process for managing large inventories and reducing the risk of manual entry errors.

Payment processing

Google Sites does not have native payment processing features but allows for the integration of payment gateways using external tools or links. This can be done by embedding HTML code for payment buttons from services like PayPal, Square, or Stripe, or by linking to an external checkout page. On the other hand, Duda integrates with Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, offering various methods like credit cards and AliPay. It also allows integration with third-party payment providers for flexibility and supports client billing using Stripe. Overall, Duda offers comprehensive ecommerce features, including over 30 payment provider integrations.

Website Editors

Website EditorsEvaluates the platforms’ website building and editing capabilities.Score Components:

  • Customization tools (40%): Range and power of editing features.
  • Editor usability (30%): User experience within the editor.
  • Design flexibility (20%): Freedom in layout and design changes.
  • Update and maintenance ease (10%): Simplicity of updating and maintaining the site.
7.0
8.3

🏆

Winner: Duda

. Duda, with a score of 8.3, offers a user-friendly platform designed for creating responsive websites with ease. It features a drag-and-drop interface, a wide range of customizable templates, and integrated SEO and marketing tools. The platform also offers ecommerce capabilities, collaborative tools for client management, and ensures websites are optimized for all devices. Hosting and security are taken care of by Duda, providing a comprehensive solution for building and managing professional websites efficiently.

Duda editor

Google Sites, scoring 7.0, offers a user-friendly website builder editor that allows users to create and design websites without needing coding knowledge. With its drag-and-drop interface, users can easily add, customize, and arrange elements such as text, images, and videos on their web pages. It also provides a variety of templates and design options to help users get started quickly and ensure their site looks professional. Additionally, Google Sites integrates seamlessly with other Google services, enabling the incorporation of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Maps directly into the website.

Google Sites editor

Mobile editor/app

0
5.5

🏆

Winner: Duda

. Both Google Sites and Duda do not offer a dedicated mobile editor app. However, Duda has an edge over Google Sites as it supports limited mobile editing through its platform, allowing users to make edits and republish sites directly from mobile devices. On the other hand, Google Sites does not provide any mobile editing capabilities. Therefore, Duda is the better choice for users who need to make quick changes to their websites on the go.

Product testing options

Product Testing OptionsAssesses the options for trying out platform features before commitment.Score Components:

  • Trial quality (40%): Extent and usefulness of the trial or free version.
  • Feature accessibility (30%): How many features are available to test.
  • Trial duration (20%): Length of the trial period.
  • Ease of transition (10%): Smoothness of moving from trial to paid plans.
6.9
8.4


Overall Result

:

Duda Wins

. Duda scores 8.4 in product testing options, outperforming Google Sites which scores 6.9. Duda offers a 14-day free trial with access to all features of each plan, providing a comprehensive testing experience. In contrast, Google Sites also offers a 14-day free trial, but only allows testing of some premium features. Additionally, Duda provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, while Google Sites does not offer this.

Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

Free Plan
Yes No

Trial Duration
14 days 14 days

Testing Premium Features
Some features during free trial
All features during free trial

Money Back Guarantee
No
30 days

Price

PriceLooks at the cost-effectiveness and value for money of each platform.Score Components:

  • Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
  • Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
  • Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
  • Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
8.1
7.9


Google Sites and Duda offer a range of pricing options to cater to different user needs.

Google Sites Logo


Offerings

Duda Logo


Offerings


$0-$10

Business Starter ($7.20/month):

This plan includes basic features suitable for individuals or small businesses, offering professional email through Gmail, 30GB of storage per user, and video meetings for up to 100 participants. It allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation on number of pages.

Value for price:


6.0

No offering at this amount.

$10-$20

Business Standard ($14.40/month):

Suitable for growing businesses, this plan provides 2 TB of storage per user, video meeting capacity for up to 150 participants with recording features, and access to smart booking pages and shared drives. It allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation on number of pages.

Value for price:


7.5

No offering at this amount.

$20-$30

Business Plus ($21.60/month):

Designed for larger businesses needing more robust capabilities, offering 5 TB of storage per user, advanced security options, and video meetings for up to 500 participants. It allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation on number of pages.

Value for price:


8.5


Basic ($25/month):

Includes hosting for one website with email support, 99.99% uptime, and access to Duda’s AI Content Assistant.

Value for price:


6.0


$30-$40
No offering at this amount.

Team ($39/month):

Adds up to three team members, priority email, chat, and phone support, with team and client management features.

Value for price:


7.0


$60-$70
No offering at this amount.

Agency ($69/month):

Offers hosting for up to four websites with priority support, account management, and access to advanced features.

Value for price:


8.0


$100+
No offering at this amount.

White Label ($199/month):

For those needing to offer Duda under their own branding, including all Agency features plus white-label client access.

Value for Price:


9.0

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

Hosting quality

Hosting
quality
Examines the reliability and performance of the hosting solutions.Score Components:

  • Uptime (40%): Consistency and reliability of website availability.
  • Speed (30%): Loading times and performance.
  • Bandwidth and storage (20%): Sufficiency of resources provided.
  • Data centers (10%): Quality and distribution of hosting infrastructure.
8.2
8.8

🏆

Winner: Duda

Duda’s hosting solution, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), offers high speed and unlimited storage or bandwidth. With a 99.99% uptime guarantee, it outperforms Google Sites, which offers basic storage and relies on Google Drive for backup functionalities. Duda’s robust hosting capabilities earn it a higher rating in this category.

Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

Do they offer hosting?

Yes, basic storage with 100MB free per site, can be increased by upgrading to Google Workspace

Yes, robust hosting solutions on Amazon Web Services (AWS) with high speed, and no storage or bandwidth limitations

Data Centers:

Google operates a total of 21 data centers across the globe: 2 in Asia, 5 in Europe, 13 in US and 1 in South America

Duda relies on Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Type of hosting:

Cloud based managed hosting

AWS Cloud Hosting

Uptime:

99.9%

99.99%

Uptime Guarantee:

Yes, 99.9%

Yes, 99.99%

Website Speed Optimization

Website Speed OptimizationEvaluates optimization of website loading timesScore Components:

  • PageSpeed Score (30%): Google’s score indicating performance optimization.
  • Loading Time (30%): The average time until a website is fully interactive.
  • Mobile Optimization (15%): Optimization effectiveness for mobile devices.
  • Resource Optimization (15%): Optimizing images, scripts, and other heavy resources.
  • CDN Usage (10%): Use of CDN to enhance speed across geolocations.
3.3
7.6


🏆 Winner: Duda

Both Google Sites and Duda prioritize website performance and page speed, but Duda’s efficient code and file minification, CDN, image optimization, and mobile-responsive designs give it an edge over Google Sites.

Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

Focus

Automated Optimization, CDN, Mobile Optimization, Browser Caching, Code Minification, Use of AMP

Efficient Code and File Minification, CDN, Image Optimization, Mobile-Responsive Designs and AMP Support

Performance Tools

Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights

Google PageSpeed Insights Integration

Key Strategies

Automated Optimization, CDN, Mobile Optimization, Browser Caching, Code Minification, Use of AMP

Efficient Code and File Minification, CDN, Image Optimization, Mobile-Responsive Designs and AMP Support

Load Times

Google does not disclose statistics about website Page Speed scores, or load times

Both load times and Page speed scores varies widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location

Page Speed Scores Range

Google does not disclose statistics about website Page Speed scores, or load times

Both load times and Page speed scores varies widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location

Core Web Vitals Improvement

Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements

Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements

Duda’s approach to enhancing site speed includes efficient code and file minification, use of a content distribution network (CDN), image optimization, and mobile-responsive designs. Duda also supports Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), which can significantly improve the performance of mobile web pages. However, both load times and PageSpeed scores can vary widely, depending on the level of optimization and the user’s location.

Google Sites also places a strong emphasis on website performance and page speed. Its approach to enhancing site speed includes automated optimization, use of a CDN, mobile optimization, browser caching, code minification, and the use of AMP. However, Google does not disclose specific statistics about website PageSpeed scores or load times. Like Duda, Google Sites also places an emphasis on improving Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS).

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Plugins and integrations

Plugins and integrationsMeasures the range and effectiveness of additional plugins and integrations.Score Components:

  • Variety of options (40%): Range of available add-ons.
  • Integration smoothness (30%): Ease of integrating plugins into the site.
  • Quality of plugins (20%): Functionality and reliability of the options.
  • Custom integration capabilities (10%): Support for custom or third-party integrations.
6.4
7.7


🏆 Winner: Duda.

With a score of 7.7, Duda leads over Google Sites, which scores 6.4. Duda offers built-in widgets, app integrations, and the ability to create custom widgets, which are included in various Duda plans, eliminating the need for separate plugin costs. Google Sites, on the other hand, offers a wide array of plugins and extensions to enhance website functionality, but falls short in comparison to Duda’s comprehensive toolkit.

Google Sites Applications

Common Ninja Google Sites plugins

Duda Applications

Duda integrations

Marketing Features

Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:

  • Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
  • Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
  • User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
  • Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
  • Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
2.6
7.1

🏆

Overall Winner: Duda

. Duda stands out for its more advanced marketing tools, especially in SEO, email marketing, blogging, and analytics. Google Sites, while offering basic SEO and analytics, lacks in email marketing, blogging, and ads and promotions.

Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

SEO Tools
Basic SEO settings Advanced SEO features

Email Marketing
No Through integration of third party platforms

Blogging
No Yes

Social Media Integration
Basic integration Advanced integration with multiple platforms

Analytics and Reporting
Google Analytics integration Supports Google Analytics for comprehensive analysis

Ads and Promotions
No Personalization tools for promotions

Customer Support

Customer supportEvaluates the quality and availability of support options.Score Components:

  • Response time (40%): Speed of support responses.
  • Support quality (30%): Effectiveness and helpfulness of the support.
  • Availability (20%): Range of support channels (phone, chat, email).
  • Resource richness (10%): Quality of self-help and educational materials.
7.2
7.5


🏆 Winner: Duda

. Comparing Google Sites vs Duda, Duda takes the lead in this category with a customer support score of 7.5. Duda offers 24/5 support through email and live chat for its Team and Agency plans, with additional support options available for Enterprise customers, including dedicated account management and business growth tools. This comprehensive support structure ensures that users have access to timely assistance and resources.

Google Sites, with a customer support score of 7.2, provides support primarily through self-service resources like a Help Center and community forums. Direct support, including phone, email, and live chat, is available to Google Workspace customers, with 24/7 support for critical issues depending on the subscription tier. While Google Sites offers robust self-help resources, its direct support options are more limited compared to Duda, especially for free users.

Security

SecurityLooks at the platforms’ security measures and data protection.Score Components:

  • Data protection (40%): Safeguards for user and customer data.
  • SSL and encryption (30%): Implementation of secure connections.
  • Compliance (20%): Adherence to industry security standards.
  • Regular updates (10%): Frequency of security updates and patches.
9.3
8.6

🏆

Winner: Google Sites

. Google Sites, part of the Google Workspace, offers robust security measures including SSL encryption, two-factor authentication, automatic malware scanning, and compliance with international data protection standards. Google’s infrastructure also provides DDoS protection and data redundancy, ensuring a secure environment for website creators and visitors.

Although Duda, while offering a range of security measures such as automatic SSL certificates, a Web Application Firewall (WAF), DDoS protection, and two-factor authentication, falls slightly short in comparison to Google Sites. However, Duda’s commitment to user and visitor security is commendable, making it a reliable choice for building secure websites.

AI Capabilities

AI capabilitiesMeasures the effectiveness of AI-driven features and tools.Score Components:

  • Automation efficiency (40%): Impact of AI on streamlining processes.
  • Personalization (30%): AI-driven customization for users or customers.
  • AI-Assisted design (20%): Role of AI in website design and functionality.
  • Data analysis (10%): Use of AI in interpreting user data and analytics.
0
7.3
Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

AI Builder







AI Ecommerce features




AI Assistant for product and category descriptions, automated marketing emails

AI Content Generation




Content generation for web pages, SEO settings optimization, grammar and spelling checks, translation, meta tags generation

Additional AI Features




AI Content Assistant, AI SEO Assistant, AI-generated alt text for images, AI-generated sections (in beta)


🏆 Winner: Duda

. Duda, with a score of 7.3, offers a suite of AI capabilities designed to streamline website creation and optimization. These include AI-driven content generation, SEO optimization, and ecommerce enhancements. On the other hand, Google Sites does not offer any AI capabilities.

Duda AI feature

User Management

User ManagementAssesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility.Score Components:

  • Role Customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
    permissions.
  • Ease of Management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
  • Access Control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
    levels.
  • Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
7.8
8.0


🏆 Winner: Duda

. Both Google Sites and Duda offer collaborative website management, but Duda’s user management is more flexible and customizable.

  • Google Sites allows multiple users to collaborate with different roles, including Owners, who have full control, and Editors, who can modify content but not site settings. There’s no strict limit on the number of users who can edit a site, allowing flexibility in management and development. Viewers can only see the site, with no editing permissions. This structure supports collaborative website building with varied levels of access and control for different users.
  • Duda allows for collaborative website management, with the number of users and permissions varying by subscription plan. Higher-tier plans enable more users to participate, offering roles like Owner/Administrator, Designer, Content Editor, and Developer, each with distinct access levels. Some plans also allow for the creation of custom roles, providing flexibility in team management. For the most up-to-date details on user permissions and plan options, consulting Duda’s official resources is recommended.

Additional Features

Google Sites Logo
Duda Logo

SSL Certificate







Custom Domain







Free Custom Domain Included







International Domains







Mobile Responsive







Page Speed







Website Builder Mobile App







Convert a Website To An App







Website Analytics







Multilingual Sites







Multiple Users


User Feedback

Google Sites
42,340 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Duda
606 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars

Users consistently praise Google Workspace, particularly Google Sites, for its seamless integration, ease of use, and collaborative features, making it a go-to solution for various professional and educational needs. The platform’s simplicity and user-friendly interface are lauded, enabling effortless website creation and sharing of information within organizations. While some users desire more customization options and additional features, overall, Google Workspace remains highly valued for its versatility and streamlined workflow facilitation.

Duda garners positive reviews for its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and responsive customer support. Users appreciate its drag-and-drop features, diverse integrations, and ability to cater to both novices and experienced developers. However, some note complexities with certain features like Duda Flex and occasional inconsistencies in design. Despite this, Duda remains a valuable tool for quick and efficient website development and management, offering a balance of ease-of-use and customization.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

FAQ

Which platform is better for beginners, Google Sites or Duda?

Google Sites is highly recommended for beginners due to its simplicity and seamless integration with Google Workspace tools. It’s particularly user-friendly for those already familiar with Google’s ecosystem. Duda, while also user-friendly, offers more advanced features and customization options that might require a slight learning curve.

Can I use both Google Sites and Duda for ecommerce?

Duda is the clear choice for ecommerce, offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored for online stores, including product and inventory management, payment processing, and marketing tools. Google Sites lacks native ecommerce functionalities and would require external integrations for any ecommerce capability.

How do Google Sites and Duda differ in terms of customization and design flexibility?

Duda offers more variety in templates and design, more customization flexibility, better mobile responsive design, more creative design possibilities, and more free and premium templates and designs than Google Sites. Google Sites offers a limited number of templates suitable for various purposes, focusing on simplicity and functionality.

What are the major differences in pricing and value between Google Sites and Duda?

Google Sites is part of the Google Workspace package and offers plans suitable for individuals, small businesses, growing businesses, and large enterprises. Duda offers plans for individuals, teams, agencies, and a white label option for those needing to offer Duda under their own branding. Duda generally offers more advanced features, especially for ecommerce and professional website design, which might justify its higher price point for some users.

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